Blog Post:In my previous post, I talked about the need to optimize your global search strategies for localization. The question then is, how do you get there? Well, to deliver success at localization efforts, or any other global search marketing tactic for that matter, you need the tools that enable your team to analyze, synthesize, and optimize.
Global search optimization takes you from site development to asset deployment to conversion. With tighter feedback loops, search marketing must be nimble. This means you've got to deploy the tools that will help keep your team ahead of SEO changes and rapidly responsive to market changes.
Enterprises have a multitude of tools at their disposal. Let's start with Web development. Synergy across platforms—web, mobile, social, and search—is essential to customer experience excellence. Webpage development must adhere to what seems to be a constantly changing algorithm environment. At the browser level, Mozilla's recent release of Firefox 23 provides more Web developer tools than before and Google Chrome has updated its toolbar as well.
Site analytics is well-covered by our Adobe Marketing Cloud. Adobe Analytics (formerly known as SiteCatalyst & Discover), for example, breaks apart each page element so your team clearly understands what parts are driving traffic to conversion. The Analytics suite has 75 traffic variables, 100 event variables, and 75 conversion variables that can be used to evaluate campaign strengths and weaknesses as they relate to site traffic.
Next, your backlinks need a look. Organic link building has to be routinely monitored and tools that diagnose backlink relevance that can have a significant effect on your search campaigns. Backlink Explorer for Firefox or other link analyzer plug-ins report the sites that are linked to your pages and can indicate relevance to your keywords. Mature links provide channels that your search marketing team can leverage. And with a simple add-on like Backlink Explorer, you also gain excellent visibility into the success of link-building initiatives.
A powerful dashboard that is popular at Adobe is the BrightEdge S3 platform. The customizable interface fulfills a variety of needs such as social monitoring, local search management, and site auditing. The S3 provides backlink management and blends seamlessly with Adobe Analytics. The BlendedRank feature allows us to look at social signals and video search results that are helping to define the new SERP.
Another great tool is one that allows a deeper connection with global customers. SEO Global for Google Search, formerly GoogleGlobal, displays search results as they would appear according to customized location parameters. Search marketers can get a clear view of what search engines return at a local level. This drives stronger localized key terms development because your team will view SERPs as your global markets see them.
Then there are extensions such as Chrome's SEO Site Tools that provide external data about your marketing assets. You can view PageRank data, along with Quantcast data, breaking down demographics of your visitors in Site Tools. Reporting also includes domain authority rank and social media actions connected to your assets.
Of course, the strength of search marketing tools lies in the dashboards we use. When we examine third-party dashboards at Adobe, there are several must-have features we demand:

Stakeholder views for maximum integration among business units

Data aggregation to allow cross-functional teams to sift and sort

Customizable interfaces to display relevant metrics to various teams

Keyword discovery capabilities

Analytics integration for seamless report and reaction

Competitor analysis because we want to know what's working for them

Trend monitoring with deep granularity

Your enterprise will have its own requirements, but for search marketing teams, you'll want to look for dashboards that not only generate actionable data but also provide recommendations based on analytics.
I can't close this post without reinforcing the value of browser plug-ins. They can improve SEO and digital marketing performance by giving you data to improve page performance, increase page speed (I especially like GTMetrix.com), measure the number of pages crawled and indexed, and improve long-tail traffic, thus improving your domain value to engines. Ask your Web production, IT, and global teams what plug-ins they use or have developed internally—you may be surprised at the toolkits already available in your own org.
My next post will focus on the need for strong data analysis and reporting structures in your global search marketing practices.
Author:Dave Lloyd
Date Created:October 14, 2013
Headline:Maximize Useful Tools for Search Marketing Excellence
Social Counts:
Keywords: #analytics #browser plug-ins #global search optimization #third-party dashboards
Publisher:Adobe

Maximize Useful Tools for Search Marketing Excellence

In my previous post, I talked about the need to optimize your global search strategies for localization. The question then is, how do you get there? Well, to deliver success at localization efforts, or any other global search marketing tactic for that matter, you need the tools that enable your team to analyze, synthesize, and optimize.

Global search optimization takes you from site development to asset deployment to conversion. With tighter feedback loops, search marketing must be nimble. This means you’ve got to deploy the tools that will help keep your team ahead of SEO changes and rapidly responsive to market changes.

Enterprises have a multitude of tools at their disposal. Let’s start with Web development. Synergy across platforms—web, mobile, social, and search—is essential to customer experience excellence. Webpage development must adhere to what seems to be a constantly changing algorithm environment. At the browser level, Mozilla’s recent release of Firefox 23 provides more Web developer tools than before and Google Chrome has updated its toolbar as well.

Site analytics is well-covered by our Adobe Marketing Cloud. Adobe Analytics (formerly known as SiteCatalyst & Discover), for example, breaks apart each page element so your team clearly understands what parts are driving traffic to conversion. The Analytics suite has 75 traffic variables, 100 event variables, and 75 conversion variables that can be used to evaluate campaign strengths and weaknesses as they relate to site traffic.

Next, your backlinks need a look. Organic link building has to be routinely monitored and tools that diagnose backlink relevance that can have a significant effect on your search campaigns. Backlink Explorer for Firefox or other link analyzer plug-ins report the sites that are linked to your pages and can indicate relevance to your keywords. Mature links provide channels that your search marketing team can leverage. And with a simple add-on like Backlink Explorer, you also gain excellent visibility into the success of link-building initiatives.

A powerful dashboard that is popular at Adobe is the BrightEdge S3 platform. The customizable interface fulfills a variety of needs such as social monitoring, local search management, and site auditing. The S3 provides backlink management and blends seamlessly with Adobe Analytics. The BlendedRank feature allows us to look at social signals and video search results that are helping to define the new SERP.

Another great tool is one that allows a deeper connection with global customers. SEO Global for Google Search, formerly GoogleGlobal, displays search results as they would appear according to customized location parameters. Search marketers can get a clear view of what search engines return at a local level. This drives stronger localized key terms development because your team will view SERPs as your global markets see them.

Then there are extensions such as Chrome’s SEO Site Tools that provide external data about your marketing assets. You can view PageRank data, along with Quantcast data, breaking down demographics of your visitors in Site Tools. Reporting also includes domain authority rank and social media actions connected to your assets.

Of course, the strength of search marketing tools lies in the dashboards we use. When we examine third-party dashboards at Adobe, there are several must-have features we demand:

Stakeholder views for maximum integration among business units

Data aggregation to allow cross-functional teams to sift and sort

Customizable interfaces to display relevant metrics to various teams

Keyword discovery capabilities

Analytics integration for seamless report and reaction

Competitor analysis because we want to know what’s working for them

Trend monitoring with deep granularity

Your enterprise will have its own requirements, but for search marketing teams, you’ll want to look for dashboards that not only generate actionable data but also provide recommendations based on analytics.

I can’t close this post without reinforcing the value of browser plug-ins. They can improve SEO and digital marketing performance by giving you data to improve page performance, increase page speed (I especially like GTMetrix.com), measure the number of pages crawled and indexed, and improve long-tail traffic, thus improving your domain value to engines. Ask your Web production, IT, and global teams what plug-ins they use or have developed internally—you may be surprised at the toolkits already available in your own org.

My next post will focus on the need for strong data analysis and reporting structures in your global search marketing practices.

Dave Lloyd

Dave Lloyd is Senior Manager of Global Search Marketing at Adobe Systems where he leads a global team delivering Organic & Site Search strategies. His team’s charter is to deliver industry best practices, drive KPI-focused goals, integrate with all marketing & web disciplines, and alpha test Adobe Marketing Cloud products. He is Google-certified, with 12 years in Digital & Search Marketing, and a Business degree from U.C. Davis.